A Tribute to Phil Lamonica

Phil Lamonica passed away in January of 2007. Please read the following memorial to him:

As America's oldest youth indoor soccer tournament reached its midway point this year, the Long Island Junior Soccer League is in mourning over the passing of Rudy's father, Phil Lamonica. He died of natural causes on January 26 at the age of 72.

Phil and his wife Bessie, both Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Famers, have been very active with the Oceanside United Soccer Club since its inception in 1962. Phil continued to be involved in the program until recent health issues curtailed his club activities.

In the early club years, the native of Calabria , Italy was a coach. Later, he and Bessie saw to it that girls have the same opportunities as boys by founding the girls program in 1972 and watched the entrance of the first Oceanside girls team into the LIJSL.

Their son, Rudy, was a member of Oceanside United's first travel team. After Rudy's death in 1970 of cancer, the annual indoor tournament was renamed in his honor, and Phil would always be there with Bessie to hand out trophies with the always present smile on his face.

In addition to Bessie, Phil is survived by his daughter, Donna, who played on that first girls team and later became a coach when her own children began to play. Watching his grandchildren Taylor (Girls Under 14 Freedom) and Austin (Boys Under 12 Cyclone Force) wearing Oceanside United's orange and navy blue was one of Phil's most enjoyable moments.